Bear

a beautiful, simple Markdown note-taking app

4.6•33 reviews•

1.1K followers

a beautiful, simple Markdown note-taking app

4.6•33 reviews•

1.1K followers

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Note and writing apps

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Writing assistants

Bear is a beautiful, powerfully simple Markdown note taking app to capture, write, and organize your life. Take notes, plan your day, journal thoughts, organize tables, create lists and tasks, sketch ideas, link notes together, write a book, and much more. Bear is used by writers, lawyers, chefs, CEOs, teachers, doctors, engineers, students, parents... you get the picture. Getting started couldn't be faster—no signup and no account. Just open a note and write naturally.

Bear Reviews

The community submitted 33 reviews to tell us what they like about Bear, what Bear can do better, and more.

4.6

Based on 33 reviews

Review Bear?

Reviewers largely see Bear as a polished, fast Apple-first writing app that stays focused: simple note-taking, drafting, quick capture, and organization. People repeatedly praise its clean design, strong Markdown support, exports, tags, and newer additions like tables, backlinks, and better image handling. Many say it gets out of the way and works well for writing-heavy workflows. The main complaints are consistent too: weak fit for cross-platform users because there’s no Android, Windows, or web app, plus some dislike of hashtag-based organization and occasional sync lag.

+30

Summarized with AI

Pros

beautiful design (13)

simple interface (13)

markdown support (8)

apple ecosystem integration (4)

fast performance (4)

backlinks (3)

export options (2)

ios compatibility (2)

reasonable subscription cost (2)

Cons

limited cross-platform support (4)

no web version (3)

wysiwyg editor issues (2)

Pros

Cons

Reviews

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Most Informative

Founder Reviews (14)

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Other Reviews (19)

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•4 reviews

What's great

simple interface (13)markdown support (8)beautiful design (13)

I've been using bear for about 5 years now. I use it for everything. Before I discovered it, I had a hard time organizing the infinite number of notes I make every day. Sure, I could probably use the notes app that comes with MacOS but I always disliked the interface of that one. It felt clunky and keyboard-unfriendly. Then came Bear. I fell in love with markdown almost instantly. Now I can basically throw my mouse away and I couldn't be happier. I mean, I'm probably not the most demanding user but for what I do (writing) it's the best editor I've had in decades. Simple, yet powerful. (Okay, that sounds like something their marketing team would come up with on a bad day, but I mean it.) Oh, and I also highly appreciate the ability to copy my text in different formats (RTF, markdown, HTML...)

What needs improvement

Syncing across devices never worked fast enough for my taste. When I select all + copy, it copies the tag at the bottom of each document too. I dislike that. Other than that, no huge complaints.

vs Alternatives

Apple Notes

Bear has markdown. Apple's Notes app does not.

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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48 views4mo ago

•1 review

Was good but had some gaps. V2 is a fantastic high quality upgrade bringing in lots of useful functionality in a simple clean application that works really well across all apple devices. I am now 100% back on board Use for simple note taking, information capture, personal knowledge management, thinking or even doodling (ok maybe not but it does have a decent diagram/sketch tool) Integrates really well into apple shortcuts and has a great url callback set of commands enabling interaction with other apps. Markdown implementation is great and the addition of backlinks and mentions just seals the deal for me … especially as data is held locally ! Icing on the cake is a sensible and perfectly reasonable subscription cost.. unlike so many others Overall Bear is a really fantastic app and I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a go!

What's great

markdown support (8)backlinks (3)apple ecosystem integration (4)reasonable subscription cost (2)ios compatibility (2)sketch tool (1)

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8 views2yr ago

•1 review

I installed the Bear app years ago when it was first released, and from the moment I started using it, I thought, "What a beautiful design!" Years later, not only does it still have a stunning interface, but it's also incredibly user-friendly. The integration with Markdown is incredibly practical, allowing me to focus solely on writing without searching for buttons or commands—just pure text. Now, in its new version, the integration with tables and additional control over images are more than welcome. I have faith that we'll see even more improvements in a shorter time.

What's great

simple interface (13)markdown support (8)beautiful design (13)

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27 views2yr ago

•3 reviews

New user and I absolutely love it! The aesthetic is on point, with multiple options for themes that truly enhance the visual experience. It's a simple and intuitive app that has all the necessary features for note-taking. Personally, I use it for my poetry writing and drafting before transferring it elsewhere. The ability to export to PDF, HTML, TXT, RFT and other formats is super convenient. Additionally, the lock feature and encryption not on outside but in the app provide added security, which initially caught my attention and prompted me to upgrade to the pro version. I firmly believe in supporting companies that have developed and continue to develop apps or services...and their brilliant brains. Great job, guys! You've definitely won me over. Oh, and did I mention I'm learning code and web design? This app will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for that too. Since the upgrade, the cleaner markup has made me even happier. It's a steal of a deal! edit sooo happy about the fonts toooooooo hehe

What's great

simple interface (13)encryption (1)export options (2)beautiful design (13)reasonable subscription cost (2)

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15 views2yr ago

•1 review

Before I begin my review, I advise potential users to avoid the whiny reviews. Bear's creators directly interact with their users and are unusually transparent. They are always upfront that they are a small team, so it takes them longer to create an impeccable product. Their high standards are actually admirable; I've never had any type of glitches with Bear 1. I am excited about Bear 2's upcoming release. I'll be a Bear subscriber until I die or the company disappears. This has been the only app I've been subscribed to since my first iPhone. It's been the only app that has helped me tremendously with my severe ADHD. So if I may, I'd like to go a bit more into detail at just how much I love this app, and how it's become a daily Perhaps because Bear creators are so approachable, some users become impatient and self-entitled like Jack Perry's review below mine. I believe those reviews show just how amazing the Bear app is because people want more and more uses out of it, more than what it was created to be. And that is what I love about this app: its versatility. Bear is a note-taking app or writing app, a beautiful one at that. It has been the only app where I have been able to keep my notes organized. Their system of hashtags is brilliantly simple. Even better? You can use more than 1 hashtag, and your note will show up in both searches. Their Apple Watch app is perfect for quickly dictating ideas that bounce around in my head; it'll even transcribe my hashtags, so my notes are already organized in my IOS app. It also flawlessly syncs in all of my Apple products. I write everything in it. Email drafts, notes, assignment notes, musings, etc. Like I earlier stated, their hashtag system allows a note to be organized under 2 topics. For my graduate class, I just wrapped up taking [#literarytheory] All assignments, ideas, and notes for this class had this hashtag. I then used a secondary hashtag to organize them more. Throughout various chapters I took a lot of notes on Sigmund Freud, so those notes had the [#freud]. One search of [#freud], and I am able to easily see all of my notes in the search. Being able to quickly type the hashtags is awesome; the quickest way I've ever found to organize notes, even as you type! Their website has more effective ways of organizing notes, but the versatility is key. Those more complex #hashtag hierarchies wouldn't work for me, but the aforementioned one does. It's adjustable to the user. Anyways, it's rare to find a company who stands so firmly behind their product and who refuses to rush and release an inferior product just for monetary gain. I've seen that happen too much. That's why I was fine waiting for Bear 2 and am super excited about its upcoming launch! Bear app is exactly what it advertises itself to be, and I recommend it. :)

What's great

beautiful design (13)apple ecosystem integration (4)ios compatibility (2)icloud sync (1)tags and hashtags (1)

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12 views2yr ago

•1 review

Historically I have liked Bear, but I've been waiting for a web version for almost five years as my work is split between Mac and Windows. The fact that Bear 2 is launching still with no web version or even an update in the blog post on if it's still coming feels like such a slap in the face. Some of us have been waiting half a decade for a web version, being told in December 2019 "it's coming along well" and then another update six months later on Reddit saying that an editor update is needed before they can give an ETA. It's 2023, if the web version isn't coming then please just let us know so I can officially abandon this app and commit to Obsidian for good. If cross-platform is important or integral to you I cannot in good conscience recommend Bear anymore.

What needs improvement

no web version (3)limited cross-platform support (4)

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9 views2yr ago

•1 review

What's great

simple interface (13)markdown support (8)beautiful design (13)

I’ve been a subscriber ever since Bear launched—I’ve lost track of how many years it’s been. The lack of an Android version is the biggest pain point for multi-platform users right now.

What needs improvement

limited cross-platform support (4)

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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7 views19d ago

•1 review

This app is as close to perfection as any app I've ever used. Elegant, super fast, polished, just an absolute joy to use. I've used this since I graduated from medical school 5 years ago. 1629 notes later and all my work and life is catalogued in Bear -- using it right now to study for my final boards exam in two days. The developers are true craftspeople who have created something remarkable.

What's great

fast performance (4)simple interface (13)beautiful design (13)

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6 views2yr ago

•2 reviews

Worth the wait! Having been a Beta tester and now happily using the production version - this is one of the most beautiful and carefully crafted writing apps in the apple ecosystem. It's pixel perfect, easy to organise and gets out the way. Now with hidden markdown, tables, ToC, and backlinks. Excellent portability, export and sync. It's a delight to use.

What's great

markdown support (8)export options (2)beautiful design (13)backlinks (3)apple ecosystem integration (4)

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5 views2yr ago

•4 reviews

Great app for taking notes, storing info you want to get to later. Just have never liked the hashtag organization, would rather have folders with notes inside of it (ala Craft docs). Hashtags end up getting horrifically cluttered.

What needs improvement

tags and hashtags (1)

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6 views2yr ago